Martin fresh and firing
A pre-game focus on rotations proved a key factor in young gun Richmond midfielder, Dustin Martin, achieving a career-high 35 possessions in last Sunday’s Round 3 clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.
Martin had burst out of the blocks in the Tigers’ opening two games this season, against Carlton and St Kilda, to be one of the best afield by half-time in both encounters. After the main break, however, his influence had waned, as he faded out of the contest.
But it was a vastly different story in the 67-point victory over the Bulldogs, with the 21-year-old producing a powerhouse, four-quarter display that netted him 35 touches, including seven inside-50s, and two goals.
“He played very well,” said Richmond’s coach Damien Hardwick.
“I think his consistency, over the course of the day, was a lot better. “Funnily enough, he only played 76% game time. “We’ve been working on his rotations . . . he’s been going for too long over periods.
“We were pleased with that from him.”
And, Martin himself, was well satisfied with the rotational results . . .
“It was good to finish out the game strongly,” he told ‘Roar Vision’.
“Obviously, the first couple of rounds I didn’t do much after half-time. So it was pretty good to play four quarters.
“I was coming off a lot more, so I’m fresher.”